Search This Blog

Thursday, October 31, 2013

UnitedHealthcare And IRONKIDS Support Children's Tumor Foundation With First-Ever Panama City IRONKIDS "Fun Run"

UnitedHealth Group Press Release:

UnitedHealthcare And IRONKIDS Support Children's Tumor Foundation With First-Ever Panama City IRONKIDS "Fun Run"
  • Nov. 1 event to bring together hundreds of youth and families from across Florida Panhandle to promote fun and fitness, and help raise awareness about neurofibromatosis
  • UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound will kick-off the Fun Run with each participating IRONKIDS  receiving a race bib, medal, t-shirt and prizes for their participation
  • UnitedHealthcare to present $5,000 donation to Children's Tumor Foundation; the foundation also to receive a portion of each IRONKIDS registration entry

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Oct. 31, 2013) — 
UnitedHealthcare and IRONKIDS® are hosting the first-ever UnitedHealthcare Panama City IRONKIDS Fun Run, bringing together hundreds of youth and their families for half-mile and mile races to promote fitness and health. 
The event will benefit the Children's Tumor Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for the millions of people living with neurofibromatosis (NF). Neurofibromatosis comprises a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin, according to the Foundation.
The event will be held at the Boardwalk Hotel near the IRONMAN Expo Friday, Nov. 1, at 3:30 p.m. Online registration is available at www.IronKids.com and www.Active.com. Onsite registration and packet pick-ups will begin during race week at the IRONMAN Expo, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 30 through the day of the race. An IRONKIDS tent will be set up for onsite registrations the afternoon of the race.
Young athletes ages 3 to 15 will have the opportunity to run a portion of the IRONMAN Run Course and cross the same finish line as the IRONMAN athletes. Participating youth athletes will receive a numbered race bib, finishing medal, T-shirt, refreshments and the honor of calling themselves an IRONKID as part of their participation. UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound will be on hand to participate in warm-up exercises, help officially kick-off the race and award medals at the finish line. 
A portion of each IRONKIDS $15 registration entry will be donated to the Children's Tumor Foundation. In addition, UnitedHealthcare is donating $5,000 to support the organization and its mission. A check presentation will be made at the beginning of the race to Children's Tumor Foundation representatives.
"UnitedHealthcare is partnering with IRONKIDS to empower Florida youth and their families to improve their health and well-being," said Steve Nelson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare's Medicaid business and participant in the IRONMAN event. "This event benefits the Children's Tumor Foundation and we are lending our support to this important cause in order to raise greater awareness of neurofibromatosis."
"We are grateful to IRONKIDS and UnitedHealthcare for joining forces to support our organization," said John Risner, president and CEO of the Children's Tumor Foundation. "Raising awareness through such a high-profile event and providing critical funding support helps our mission to provide services to individuals and families living with NF."
The Panama City Fun Run is part of the 2013 UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS National Race series that the company has sponsored across the country aimed at inspiring and motivating young people to lead active, positive and healthy lifestyles. This is the second year UnitedHealthcare is supporting IRONKIDS races as part of the company's overall commitment to promote healthy lifestyles.
"IRONKIDS is honored to work with UnitedHealthcare to support the Children's Tumor Foundation as part of Panama City's first IRONKIDS competition," said Carola Ross, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for IRONMAN North America. "Through UnitedHealthcare's support we are helping tremendous causes and affording thousands of youth to participate in fun races that can be the catalyst for a lifetime of exercise and healthy living."
About Children's Tumor Foundation
The Children's Tumor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with neurofibromatosis (NF), a term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and can lead to blindness, bone abnormalities, cancer, deafness, disfigurement, learning disabilities, and excruciating and disabling pain. NF affects one in every 3,000 people, more than cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntington's disease combined. The Children's Tumor Foundation funds critical research into neurofibromatosis. In addition to benefiting those who live with NF, this research is shedding new light on several forms of cancer, brain tumors, bone abnormalities, and learning disabilities, ultimately benefiting the broader community. For more information, please visit www.ctf.org.
About IRONKIDS
After being acquired from the Sara Lee Corporation, which owned the event series since 1985, IRONKIDS®launched in 2009 with nine events in the IRONKIDS® National Triathlon Series. Since the inaugural year, IRONKIDS has seen more than 60,000 participants and has grown to over 40 events worldwide including races in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. The brand represents a multi-dimensional approach to creating positive experiences for athletes, families and communities as, as well as embodies achievement and determination while fostering self-esteem. The IRONKIDS mission is to inspire and motivate through the sport to live an active, positive and healthy lifestyle. For more information visit www.ironkids.com.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 780,000 physicians and other care professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.